InterviewwithDorothySears By:JosephLoo UCSD,SanDiego InterviewDateandLocation:November5,2013,Atmyhome(2110OpalRidgeVista,CA) (theinterviewwasaphonecall)

Introduction:DorothyisaassociateprofessoratUCSD.Sheteachespeopleaboutmanagingdiabetes andalsogivesinterventionstoobesepeople.Dorothyconductsresearchonthingsthatcanbeafactor ofgettingdiabeteslikeenvironmentalexposure.Someofherotherexperimentaltestsincludetesting genesanddietchangesonanimalslikedogsandmice. InterviewwithDorothySears Joseph:So,whatsyourname,position,andorganization/laboratory/hospital? Dorothy:MynameisDorothySearsandmypositionisassociateprofessorofmedicineandIworkat theUniversityofCaliforniaSanDiegoUniversityandspecificallyontheschoolsmedicinecampus. J:Okay.Howdidyoubecomeinterestedinresearchingdiabetes? Dorothy:Well,whenIwasgetting.IalwaysenjoyedscienceandmathandwhenIwaspursuingmy Ph.D.degree,IwasthinkingaboutwhatdidIwanttodofortherestofmylifeandIreallywantedto dosomethingthatwouldhelppeoplehavebetterhealthandsoIultimatelychosediabetes.Itwasabout 1995.So,diabetesepidemicwasnotasprominentasitisnow,butIjustfeltthatwasagood communityofpeoplethatIcouldtrytohelp. J:Okay.So,whatdoyoudoforyourjobandwhataresomegoodcontributionsdoyouuseyourwork for? D:Well,myrecentwork,IamfocusingonhowwecanchangediettoinfluenceriskofType2diabetes. So,IamdoingthatinsomemicethatIhaveinthelaboratoryandImalsodoingthatinhumansubjects thatareparticipatinginmyclinicaltrial.AndanotherwaythatIamusingislookingatchanginga personsenvironmentalexposures.So,forexample,howmuchdotheysitduringtheday,howmuch physicalactivitydotheygetduringthedayandhowdotheseenvironmentalinfluences(physicalactivity, diet)influencesapersonsriskforType2diabetes. J:Mmm.

D:Andhopefullytoreducetheirrisk. J:Okay.So,mostofyourworkisbasicallyobservationalstudyingonthingslikemiceandhumans. D:Observational,yes.ButthenImalsodoinginterventions.So,wejustcompletedadietintervention forobesepeoplethathaveprediabetes.So,inthatcase,weenrollpeopleandwegivethemspecial foodsbeforea3monthtime.Andwedrewbloodsamplesfromthembeforetheywentonthedietand thenaftertheyweredonewiththediettoseewhatkindofbenefits,ifany,theyhadwhiletheywere experiencingthedietandwhatcanwelearnfromthatinalargertrialthatwasasmallwhatwecalled pilottrials.So,wehad40peopleinthatone. J:Okay. D:...Inthemice,Iamalsodoingsimilarthings.So,micenormallyeatthekindofpelletsthatyouwere normallyfindinthepetstorethatifyoufeedthemhighfatdiet,wedothatdo,andthentheygetfattoo. Wecanalsoputdifferentingredientsintotheirdietandseeifthatprotectsthemfromdiabetesrisk. J:Okay.So,doyouhappentofinddiabetesbecomingmorecommonintodayssociety? D:Yes.Verymuchso.Type2diabetesisbecomingmore,muchmorecommonandImjustgoingto goaheadandtellyou.YouaskedmeinthequestionsyousentbeforeaboutwhyandIthinkthatsso. J:Okay.Yes,thatwhatIamgoingtoaskyounext. D:Okay.Ha,ha!Alright.So,wellIcantellyoualittlebitofinformation.Firstofall,thereare26million AmericansintheUnitedStatesthathavediabetestype.Well,theyhavediabetesperiod.About95%of thepeoplehaveType2diabetes. J:Andtheother5%isType1? D:Yes,thatiscorrect. J:Okay.Um.. D:Andthenwehave79millionpeopleintheUnitedStatesthathaveprediabetes. J:Mmm. D:So,thoseprediabetesispreType2diabetes. J:Alright.Um.Iminterestedinwhatlifearesearcherisonadaytodaybasis.Istheresomethingthat youwanttosharewiththegeneralpublicorcommunitythatcaresaboutprevention,therapiesandcures fordiabetes? D:Um.Yeah.So,mylifeisanicelife.Ha,ha.Myprimaryfunctionistoconductmyresearchandso, asImentioned,IamdoingthatbyconductingresearchstudiesinmiceandinhumansandIreallyenjoy that.Ilikeit.WhatIdo,myresearchisalwayschangingbecauseofwelearnnewthings.Then,wecan asknewquestions.So,Iamneverdoingthesamethingforalongperiodoftime.Thatmakeslife interesting.Ialsoteachstudentsinmylaboratorythatareeithergettinganundergraduatedegreeat UCSDorevenMastersorPhDdegrees.So,IamalwaysinteractingwithnewyoungpeoplethatI enjoyworkwiththem. J:Mmhm. D:AndthenIamalsoteachingmedicalstudentsinthefirstyearmedicalstudentcurriculum.Ireally enjoythatandIamalsoactiveinthecommunityworkingintheAmericanDiabetesAssociation,whichI reallyenjoybecauseIcandirectlyhelppeopleinthecommunitywhohavewhoareaffectedbydiabetes

fortype1andtype2byvolunteeringwiththeAmericanDiabetesAssociation.AndsoIamabletoI havetoraisemoneytothecauseandhelpeducatepeopleabouthowtopreventdiabetes.Asfaras whatItoshareaboutprevention,therapies,andcures,Ithinkthatpreventionisaveryimportantthing forusalltobethinkingaboutandactuallyinconjunctionwiththeADA(AmericanDiabetes Association)actuallytalktoourcongressionalrepresentativeshereallthroughoutthecountyinSan Diegototryandconvincethemthatthegovernmentshouldbeveryconcernedaboutpreventionand thatwecanhopefullysustaingovernmentfundstotheCDCandtheNIHtohelpeducatepeopleabout howtopreventdiabetes,howtomanagetheirdiabetesoncetheyhaveitsothattheydonthavethe complicationsfromthedisease.AndIthinktherearepowerfulwaystoaffectapersonsriskorthe outcomeofdiabeteswithoutdrugs.Ithinkweshouldthinkaboutthat,butIthinkthattherearealso somenewcompoundsandtherapiesonthemarketthatarealsoveryuseful.Forcures,for10yearsI thinkIvebeensayingthatweare10yearsawayfromacure.Stillnotthereyet.Imnotsurehowlong itsgoingtotake,butIthinkitspossible. J:Okay.Yeah.Yeah,itsgoodthatyoushouldinformthegovernmentaboutdiabetesbecauseIhave beenwatchingthenewssometimesanditseemslikethereisnotreallythatmuchmajorinfointhemedia despiteitbeingabigissuerightnow. D:Yes,yes.IagreewithyouandasIwassayingtherearenowsimplethingsthatpeoplecandoandto reducetheirriskandIdontthinkthisinformationisgettingouttothepublicaseffectivelyasitcould. J:Aspartofthe11thgradeprojectwearecompletingwewillbecreatinganartpieceinstudioartthat Ihopecanservetorepresentapieceofyourwork.Isthereanimageorideathatrepresentswhatyou dothatIcanworktowardstorepresenttheimportantthingsthatyoudo?Ifyoudon'thaveideasright now,wewillbestartingtheartworkonNov.7thandIwouldliketohearanyideasbeforethen. Anythingwouldhelpandwouldbereallyamazing! D:Iwastryingtothinkaboutwhatwouldbeappropriate.Howaboutsomethingwithamuscleanda liverandsomefatonthereandtalkingaboutwhatinsulindoesinthosetissues.Wouldthatbe interesting? J:Anyotherideas?Iinterviewedoneotherdoctorlikeheenvisionedlikehimleadingagroupof diabeticpatientsbecauselikehehelpsdiabeticpatientswholikelivingwithdiabetesaloteasier.He wouldleadagroupofdiabeticpatientsonawalk.Hehelpsthepatientstonotnecessarilygetbetter, butlikemakelivingdiabetesaloteasier.Youunderstand? D:Yeah,yeah.Thatscool. J:ThatoneoftheideasthatIgotfromanotherinterview.Anyotherideas? D:Ihaveanotheronetooonthesametopicaboutexercise.IthasanimageontheleftsideMt.Everest, andalotofpeoplethinkthatwhenyoutellthemthattheyshouldexercisemore,thattheythinkitssort ofdifficulttoclimbingMt.Everest,theythattheydontwanttotryit.Itstoochallenging.Thenonthe rightside,thereisamapofBalboaParkandapictureofamanwalkinghisdoganditsreallymuch simpler.Youcanjustgototheparkorwalkyourdogaroundtheblockandthatsimportant. J:Yeah,Yeah!ThatsareallygreatideabecausefrominterviewingthatoneotherguythatIdid,hetold methatpeoplearenotthinkingabouttheirhealthtoomuchandtheyrejustnotgettingenoughexercise

andexerciseofthemainthingsyouneedtodofordiabetesandsomepeoplearenthavinglikethe motivationtheywanttokeepingthemselveshealthybyexercisingeveryday.So,Ithinkthatsagood wayofthinkingaboutitisthateventhoughthingslikewalkingadogareprettysimple,itcanfulfillthe samepurposesasexercisingdoesaswell! D:Absolutely! J:Okay! D:Yeah!Itdoesnthavetobehard. J:Well,Iguessthatsprettymuchit.Ithankyoufortakingthetimetoconductthisinterviewwithme. D:Why,yourewelcome!Well,letmeknowifIcanhelpyouinanyotherwayinthefuture,Ibehappy totalktoyouagain. J:Alright!Well,thankyouverymuch. D:Alright!Youtakecare! J:Youtoo!And.. D:Goodluckwithyourproject! J:Youtoo!Goodluckwithyourresearch! D:Oh,thankyousomuch! J:Alright!Bye! D:Bye,bye! J:Bye!